Friday 4 January 2019

First Dungeness visit of the new year.

With Brian still on a work break it's off to Kent & one of our favoured places Dungeness.
It's straight to the beach just by the boats & the sea is alive with Auks & Gannets plus Cormorants.
Mostly Guillemot the odd Razorbill just one Kittiwake seen & 3 Great Skua also seen but they were all just off the beach.what a pleasure to watch the Gannets diving for food that close. One of many
Red-throated Divers  settled on the sea very close in, it's so nice we spend more time than we should have just enjoying the show.It's 5 year ticks before we head off.
A ride round to Galloway's gives us another 2 ticks with loads of Stonechat about. Then a real bonus when we find the single Dartford Warbler that had been reported on bird news earlier, it was very accommodating sitting up for a good show.
Off now for a quick look over Scotney which never gave us any ticks until we see the few Barnacle Geese on the Suffolk side.Going back to Dunge we find 4 Cattle Egret in a Sheep feed before we turn into the reserve & tick Tree Sparrow & a Great white Egret.
Before we head off home we call in at Capel Fleet, on the track going down to the mound 3 more ticks with a flock of Corn bunting fill one of the bushes.Also seen Fieldfare & Redwing.
At the mound a group of fellows had a Merlin in sight so a good tick straight away.
The aim is to hang around till the Harriers come into roost & we see over 20 Marsh Harriers come in
to roost.another Peregrine is spotted sitting on a post that was nice.
Then as we drive back up the track a Short-eared Owl is spotted ,so it's another half hour enjoying it before it got to dark & we set off home after a really great day out birding  with the boys.
2 Of the 4 Cattle Egret
Just one of the many Guilliemot on show

Just so accommodating at Galloways the Dartford Warbler


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